When I began my doctoral research journey, I never imagined how transformative it would be—not just for my career, but for me as a person. My name is Mohamed Abdel Ghani, and I am a researcher in Business Administration, specializing in Strategic Management. This is the story of how I navigated the rollercoaster of challenges, discoveries, and growth during my Doctorate in Business Administration at Cairo University, one of the top-ranking universities in Egypt.
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After two years of studying the core courses for my Doctorate in Business Administration, I initially chose to research top management’s inclination to adopt cloud computing in the workplace. I presented this topic to my professors during the coursework phase, but it was not approved by the seminar committee during the proposal presentation. As a result, I had to revise my topic several times. Business Administration offers many interesting and valuable fields to study, but I eventually chose to focus on Strategic Management, specifically on strategic decision-making.
I was supervised by a professor and a doctor acting as an associate supervisor. The research topic was carefully refined and presented as “The Impact of Perceived Environmental Uncertainty on Strategic Decision-Making: A Field Study.” The industry was identified as the maritime sector. The proposal was accepted, and a three-member committee was formed, consisting of my supervisors and a professor from the faculty, to review and improve the topic and research model. After making the necessary adjustments, the proposal was finalized and approved in its final form.
From Choosing the Research Topic to Finalizing the Focus
The Research Journey: Steps Toward Discovery
Refining the Path: Insights from the Pilot Study Phase
With the guidance of the associate supervisor, I began my journey with the research topic for my dissertation. We started by gathering information about the research population, and I reached out to people I knew for advice on how to access data about companies and their key personnel. While working on the proposal for my research, I conducted an exploratory study on the industry, as well as a literature review on both the industry and the field of strategic decision-making.
A pilot study was developed using the information collected earlier, and several personal interviews were conducted to determine which part of the industry would be most suitable for the study. During these discussions, I also reviewed whether the selected variables were appropriate for the study or needed adjustment.
During the pilot study phase, I faced several challenges that required careful effort to address. One of the key difficulties was accessing reliable information about the targeted companies and their key personnel, which necessitated building strong communication networks and leveraging personal connections. Additionally, participant responsiveness posed a challenge, as some individuals were either uncooperative or unavailable, causing delays in data collection. Identifying the most suitable part of the industry for the study also required multiple reviews and analyses to ensure the selected sample accurately represented the research population.
Another significant challenge was defining and refining the research variables. Discussions with participants sometimes revealed the need to modify or reframe variables to better align with the study’s goals. Balancing the demands of the pilot study, the preparation of the research proposal, and other commitments was another obstacle, requiring effective time management. Finally, designing comprehensive research tools that covered all necessary aspects without overwhelming participants was a delicate task. Despite these challenges, the pilot study proved to be a valuable experience, allowing me to refine my tools and methodology before moving forward with the main study.
After the exploratory study and presenting the questions, formal and informal sources of information were added as moderator variables, while rationality, intuition, and political behavior were included as mediating variables. The methods for measuring the variables were carefully reviewed, and several questions were revised based on feedback from the top management, general managers, and managers, who represent the sample of the population. Additionally, shipping agencies companies were selected to define the research population.
Building the Foundation: A Comprehensive Literature Review
Simultaneously, the literature review was gathered and thoroughly analyzed, with research papers carefully chosen for their relevance. In the field of Business Administration, research journals are assessed using specific metrics such as ABS and ABDC. For this study, journals with the highest rankings were selected and prioritized to ensure the inclusion of high-quality sources in the literature review.
Note:
The ABS (Academic Journal Guide) is a ranking system developed by the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) to evaluate the quality of academic journals in business and management, with rankings ranging from 1 (lowest) to 4* (world-leading).Note:
The ABDC (Australian Business Deans Council) Journal Quality List is a ranking system that evaluates academic journals in business and related fields. Journals are ranked into four categories: A (highest), A, B, and C*, based on their quality and impact.
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